1. Process Logs/RACC Responses- During or Constructing Reading Strategy
Rationale:
•I chose this strategy because I wanted students to be able to read material and be able to reflect back on it through writing.This will raise their comprehension level. I wanted them to connect to the passage and write what they learned from it.These response logs will help them become independent thinkers and learners.It improves their metacognitive abilities because they have to think about thinking.Or, to put it another way, they must think about the reading and how they are reading so they can relate it later in their writing.The ISAT extended response questions are very similar to this reading strategy and I have incorporated or made adjustments to the process log reading strategy to incorporate my RACC writing response strategy. Therefore, this reading strategy prepares students to read and write thoroughly fulfilling the requirements for achievement on the ISAT extended response rubrics.
Courses in which it could be implemented :
•This is an 8th grade Language Arts class. Since I teach this to five sections of 8th graders which include inclusion or struggling readers and writers, regular English level students, and accelerated students this is a strategy that works well for all of them.Process Logs/RACC Responses Reading Strategy could be used in Science, History, and possibly math with story problems. It incorporates reading and writing so it is a good strategy for history especially because it will allow the teacher to see if students understand a particular event and if the student can relate it to today's life and times.
Diversity:
• This reading strategy works well with all levels of students and I have used it with all levels of students as I said above. The struggling learners benefit from reading good quality writing. They are able to learn what is being taught from the models presented in class. The discourse that follows as the class discusses the quality of the writing piece serves as a scaffold to help these learners bridge the gaps they may have in reading and writing. Writing that shows poor quality is also a model for struggling students to show them what they should not be doing in their writing.
Procedure:
1. First, I explained that we are going to read some reading passages. I told students they will then be asked to respond to the writing in the form of a writing prompt that asks a question about the passage they just read.I informed them they must use the Restate, Answer, Connect, and Check model.They are familiar with this model as the 7th grade Language Arts teacher uses this technique.I have also carried on this model throughout the year.
2.We read a passage together.I gave the students a prompt.I modeled how to respond to the prompt by providing students with two or three extended responses taken from an 8th grade ISAT example.These examples show scores of 3 and 4.
3. We discussed the response examples and I pointed out elements they should incorporate into their own responses.I showed them how to use both implicit and explicit answers when they answered the prompt.I explained what implicit answers are and explicit answers are.Implicit being information taken directly from the passage, while explicit refers to connections to their own life, and/or drawing their own conclusions about the topic at hand.I also show them a rubric of what they need in their Process Log/RACC responses and we compare the ISAT examples to the rubric to see if the requirements were fulfilled.
4.I explained that students should use Restate, Answer, Connect, and Check in their responses and to write in essay form with proper indents, grammar, etc.
5.We read another passage.
6.I gave students a prompt for this passage.
7.Students responded to the prompt based on the models they were shown.
8.I engaged the class in discussion about the responses by taking volunteers to share their responses.
9.Students shared and we discussed good points and made suggestions and recommendations for improvements.They were asked to see if the responses met the criteria for the response rubric.
Potential Issues:
•I don’t anticipate any problems using the strategy.To diminish any problems, I would say be organized and find and locate all materials ahead of time.Have the passages ready with the modeled responses available, the extended response ISAT rubric, and additional passages and prompts also.Also, make sure you allot enough time to model the strategy for students first by using examples.Then, allow enough time for discussion of the model(s).Allow enough time for reading and writing to a variety of passages and prompts and for sharing each others in class and for discussion of these as well using the rubric for extended responses as a guide.Describe any problems you anticipate when using this strategy.
1. Process Logs/RACC Responses - During or Constructing Reading Strategy
Rationale:
• I chose this strategy because I wanted students to be able to read material and be able to reflect back on it through writing. This will raise their comprehension level. I wanted them to connect to the passage and write what they learned from it. These response logs will help them become independent thinkers and learners. It improves their metacognitive abilities because they have to think about thinking. Or, to put it another way, they must think about the reading and how they are reading so they can relate it later in their writing. The ISAT extended response questions are very similar to this reading strategy and I have incorporated or made adjustments to the process log reading strategy to incorporate my RACC writing response strategy. Therefore, this reading strategy prepares students to read and write thoroughly fulfilling the requirements for achievement on the ISAT extended response rubrics.
Courses in which it could be implemented :
• This is an 8th grade Language Arts class. Since I teach this to five sections of 8th graders which include inclusion or struggling readers and writers, regular English level students, and accelerated students this is a strategy that works well for all of them. Process Logs/RACC Responses Reading Strategy could be used in Science, History, and possibly math with story problems. It incorporates reading and writing so it is a good strategy for history especially because it will allow the teacher to see if students understand a particular event and if the student can relate it to today's life and times.Diversity:
• This reading strategy works well with all levels of students and I have used it with all levels of students as I said above. The struggling learners benefit from reading good quality writing. They are able to learn what is being taught from the models presented in class. The discourse that follows as the class discusses the quality of the writing piece serves as a scaffold to help these learners bridge the gaps they may have in reading and writing. Writing that shows poor quality is also a model for struggling students to show them what they should not be doing in their writing.
Procedure:
1. First, I explained that we are going to read some reading passages. I told students they will then be asked to respond to the writing in the form of a writing prompt that asks a question about the passage they just read. I informed them they must use the Restate, Answer, Connect, and Check model. They are familiar with this model as the 7th grade Language Arts teacher uses this technique. I have also carried on this model throughout the year.2. We read a passage together. I gave the students a prompt. I modeled how to respond to the prompt by providing students with two or three extended responses taken from an 8th grade ISAT example. These examples show scores of 3 and 4.
3. We discussed the response examples and I pointed out elements they should incorporate into their own responses. I showed them how to use both implicit and explicit answers when they answered the prompt. I explained what implicit answers are and explicit answers are. Implicit being information taken directly from the passage, while explicit refers to connections to their own life, and/or drawing their own conclusions about the topic at hand. I also show them a rubric of what they need in their Process Log/RACC responses and we compare the ISAT examples to the rubric to see if the requirements were fulfilled.
4. I explained that students should use Restate, Answer, Connect, and Check in their responses and to write in essay form with proper indents, grammar, etc.
5. We read another passage.
6. I gave students a prompt for this passage.
7. Students responded to the prompt based on the models they were shown.
8. I engaged the class in discussion about the responses by taking volunteers to share their responses.
9. Students shared and we discussed good points and made suggestions and recommendations for improvements. They were asked to see if the responses met the criteria for the response rubric.
Potential Issues:
• I don’t anticipate any problems using the strategy. To diminish any problems, I would say be organized and find and locate all materials ahead of time. Have the passages ready with the modeled responses available, the extended response ISAT rubric, and additional passages and prompts also. Also, make sure you allot enough time to model the strategy for students first by using examples. Then, allow enough time for discussion of the model(s). Allow enough time for reading and writing to a variety of passages and prompts and for sharing each others in class and for discussion of these as well using the rubric for extended responses as a guide. Describe any problems you anticipate when using this strategy.
References (Bibliography Information & Cross reference the Resource Binder):
Tina's Own Development. (2007) for During Reading - Constructing Strategies.
Sample Books from Illinois State Board of Education:
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/pdfs/reading_extended_rubric_8.pdf
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/pdfs/2008/ISAT_Sample_Book_Gr_8_r.pdf
(**All Cross Referenced in the E-portfolio Reading in the Content Area 465 Reading Strategies Resource Binder.)